The minority governing Socialist Party gave the green light to "the most brutal austerity package of all times" at its Sunday congress, Andras Cser-Palkovics, deputy spokesman of the main opposition Fidesz party, said in a statement sent to MTI.

The congress elected Gordon Bajnai the party's candidate for prime minister, whose austerity programme, including the abolition of 13th month wages and bonus pensions, as well as freezing per-child family benefits, will create a hopeless situation for the poorest families, the statement said.

Hungary needs "new people to determine new directions, rather than failed parties… and failed politicians, who are but worried about their power," Cser-Palkovics said in the statement.

Fidesz calls for early elections, because the country needs a strong government, whereas a new government set up without general elections is "illegitimate, weak and provisional", the statement added.